Sep
28
8 Ground Rules To Teach The Art of Listening
Learning to be a good listener does not come naturally. In fact, it’s rather difficult. It is something that can be taught and is a rare trait in today’s ‘what about me’ world. Give your children this valuable life skill that will enhance their relationships, their leadership abilities, and problem solving skills. We’ve all heard that there’s a reason God gave us TWO ears and ONE mouth!
Families that do a good job homeschooling their children through high school are always attentive to covering all the academic bases. They know ahead of time what they will need to get into college even if their emerging adult is saying (now) that they don’t want to go to college, because they know that can change. They also have the foresight to insert the electives that will serve them through out any profession (like typing).
What about some of the social skills that sometimes are picked up in daily life lessons . . . but sometimes not? One of these lessons I believe is easily overlooked is the (lost) Art of Listening. ‘Looking out for #1′ as the prevailing attitude in today’s culture is not a revelation, I know, but has a strong undertow. Genuinely listening to others is a character trait that will not only please God but will most definitely set them apart in the business world. It’s a trait found in every good leader and good marriage.
I confess, I did not teach my kids to be good listeners. That’s not to say that they don’t listen well to others, but as they say. . . hindsight is best sight. There are some simple techniques that you can teach your children now while they are tied up in the chair homeschooling is ideal. They may file this information in the closet for a decade or so, but tidbits like these plant a seed that will sprout at the right time.
So……..HOW do you teach good listening? Here’s eight ground rules to start:
1. Empathize with the speaker. Somtimes people think that playing the devil’s advocate and helping whoever is talking see the other person’s perspective is helpful. Maybe in certain circumstances, but to be a good listener you want to try to completely empathize with who you are listening to and see it from their POV.
2. Listen, don’t think. The key to learning the art of listening is to do only that – listen. Most people are actively thinking about what they are going to say next, or formulating a response. Train yourself to listen and put yourself in their place.
3. Body language is key – Two simple things to remember that go a long, long way to communicating are eye contact and leaning forward just a little. Nodding in agreement and other body gestures are good, too. Learn what ‘mirroring’ is.
4. Fully understand what they are saying. At appropriate moments, ask questions to be sure you understand the situation. If they are not clear on the sequence of events, or if they are using “they” “he”, etc, make sure you know what they are describing. Attempt to re-create the experience they are relating to you in your mind.
5. Give them 100% of your attention. Never answer a cell phone during a ‘listening’. So rude. Even on the phone, you can hear if someone is doing something in the background.
6. Avoid any and all distractions. If you must attend to something like a crying child or the like, then say ‘excuse me for just a moment’ and remember where you were at in the conversation. When you return, remind them where you were in the story.
7. Be silent. This can be the hardest part. Resist the temptation to immediately relate a similar experience of your own, or tell them what YOU would’ve done in their situation. Right now, just completely understand what they are telling you.
8. Share your opinion AFTER you are asked for it. Sometimes people don’t really want an opinion, they just want to someone to listen. When asked for your opinion, check back on what they are asking an opinion on. Sometimes it’s not what you think.
There is much more to learn on the subject, but it’s not rocket science. It’s creating an awareness of a social grace that is often overlooked in today’s “What about me?” world. It’s a rare trait in the competitive business arena, but it’s also vital in talking with your teens or spouse. If we can think of being a good listener as a part of having good manners like remembering to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, the world would be a better place. It’s definitely one that I needed a refresher course on!
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/09/master-art-of-listening-and-watch-all.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Listener
More From HomeschoolEntrepreneur
Sep
26
Free Computer Programming Software – Alice.org
Alice is an innovative 3D piece of educational software that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game, or a video to share on the web. Alice can be used as a teaching tool for introductory computing. Using 3D graphics and a drag-and-drop interface, Alice is a much more engaging and less frustrating first programming experience.
As a teaching tool, it’s a revolutionary approach to teaching and learning introductory programming concepts. The Alice team has developed instructional materials to support students and teachers in using this new approach. Resources include textbooks, lessons, sample syllabuses, test banks, and more. Other authors have generously joined their efforts, creating additional textbooks.
A homeschooler’s dream. And it’s free!
Sep
25
Market Your Business With Videos
One of the fastest ways to spread the word about your business is to get your name on a top ranked website – and YouTube is about as top-ranked as you can find. With an Alexa rating of 4 – yes, you read that right – the traffic there is phenomenal. OK, I realize getting your video viewed is quite another feat, but let’s take this one bite at a time.
First, if you aren’t savvy with video taping and the like, then this may seem like an impossible task. However, there are these flip-cams that are relatively inexpensive and are perfect for the job. They also have a built in feature that automatically uploads your video to YouTube, all you need is an account (free) with YouTube, and an internet connection.
My son has one of these, and it is as easy as it says it is. His camera is a Kodak Zi6 and came with a mini tripod (so you can tape yourself if no one else is available), a battery charger and the two AA rechargeable batteries it requires. The newer Zi8 version is more expensive and takes a special battery, so I’m not sure what the updated features are, but I like to save the money and stick with easy to find AA batteries. Amazon has the Zi6 for about $123, no tax or shipping.
This is a great ‘school tool’ and could make a nice Christmas or birthday present. You could even consider it a business expense if that is your purpose for use. Making commercials for your business, creating teaching videos, or the many other ways to promote your business will return your investment cost quickly! Not to mention the fun you’ll have with it!
Of course, there is the option in this video that explains how you can use a free online program called CamStudio to make a “video” without a video camera. I’ve used another free program called Jing to do basically the same thing, but both of these limit you to what you can put up on your computer screen. Which isn’t such a bad thing, just use your imagination!
One important point to remember in putting your video online is to consider the keywords you use in the title and categories you list under. This will make the difference between becoming a disappearing drop of water in the ocean, or making a big splash. If you sell a product that teaches, TeacherTube is a fantastic venue.
You’ll also want to make your video engaging. DO NOT just stand there and talk – do something different, fun, and make an impact. The use of writing on individual cards has become popular and couldn’t be easier. Do your due diligence and look at other videos in your category and see what pops and what does NOT. Many of the videos from the Entrepreneur of 2009 contest are great examples. If you watch them all, you’ll also be able to see what NOT to do. Here’s one that used the card concept:
The Young Entrepreneur Society is running a video competition and will feature the winners on their website. Not the biggest prize, but it is a great place to start. All you need to do is make a 30 second video on why you have the next big idea and post it on YouTube. Find the details here:
http://www.youngentrepreneursociety.com/forum/topics/why-should-we-feature-you-as
We’ll feature you, too….if you are a homeschool student. Anyone for a homeschool entrepreneur video contest?
Sep
23
156 Ways To Increase Your Blog’s Traffic
It’s official. The most asked question is how to get traffic to your blog or website. Second to that is how to make money with a blog (we’ll cover that next). I started to compile my own list, but found that those much wiser than myself have gone before me, and so I chose those that I deemed most credible. If you know of a great list we should include, I’d love it if you left it in a comment!
Granted, several suggestions are in more than one list, but you’ll find fresh ideas in each one. Have fun!
Problogger’s Top Five Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic- If you don’t have time to do much, start with this concise list. Each item on the list is quite a task and possible a learning curve, but worth it.
101 Free Ways to Increase Your Blog Traffic – from Blog Catalog, this is a pretty exhaustive list. There are going to some items you can do today, while others will take time to develop.
How To Get Traffic For Your Blog – Seth Godin has 56 suggestions here that also includes sage advice for your blog.
So, what if you have a website and not a blog? Many of these ideas will work only for blogs, but many can work for both. If you have a website, and don’t have a blog yet, then you know what you need to do next! (start a blog)
There are many other lists out there, but these 3 cover everything that is worth your time doing. I’m sure everyone has tried at least one of these, it would help everyone if you shared what has worked for you…and what hasn’t worked! Show some ‘comment luv’ 
Some related posts:
Top 10 Places To Get Your Blog Noticed
Sep
20
How a Night at the Holiday Inn Teaches The Entrepreneurial Mindset
Many of you out there will wonder if I’ve gone a little looney, and others will know exactly what I’m talking about. After a few years of homeschooling, it starts to become second nature to see learning opportunities in everything you do, and developing the ‘Entrepreneurial Mindset’ is no different.
Teaching the entrepreneurial mindset is often as simple as noticing when a business is doing an exceptional job. Pointing out many of the details you might take for granted trains them to see how things are run from an owner’s point of view. This was an excellent example.
Last week we took a trip to my son’s college to watch him play soccer and spend a little time with him. He happened to be playing on a Tuesday night, and we returned home the next day. That evening we learned that my oldest daughter’s 2 year old, who has a rare condition called MPS1, or Hurler’s, had been approved for a bone marrow transplant. I’ll spare you all the details, but it involves a four (4) month stay in the hospital and the best hospital to do this procedure is 18 hours away (Minneapolis, MN) from our Tennessee home. This will put their family (my oldest daughter, her husband and MY 5 grandchildren) 18 hours away – in a hospital – over Thanksgiving AND Christmas.
Like many homeschool families, we are very close, and all live in the same area in Tennessee. Josh is the farthest away in college, a little under 3 hours away. So the thought of everyone being separated at the holidays was hard, but if it gave little Josiah a longer life, it was worth it, of course! Immediately we tried to plan a time the entire family could get together before they left for Minnesota.
So when the prospect of everyone getting together at Josh’s college, the only weekend that worked for everyone was the coming weekend. Yes, only 3 days after we had just visited. Sparing you all the details, it was the only time it worked for everyone before they had to leave for Minnesota. But there were still lots of details to work out… and it depended largely on if the hotel would work with us or not.
Long story short, we contacted the Holiday Inn in Dayton and explained the situation to them and made our requests. They replied promptly and were extremely gracious in their accommodation. I mean really gracious. I don’t want to tell you everything because I don’t want them to have to deal with all the extra requests they might encounter as a result, but I wanted to make a point that customer service is truly the commodity of the century-and they get an A+.
I know that hotels are supposed to be hospitable, but we have stayed in several places in the area, and that isn’t always what we have found. If you have stayed in many hotels, you know that quality varies widely – even in the same chain and star-rating. There were 12 of us that stayed in 4 rooms, and everyone noticed the service, the cleanliness and the AMAZING breakfast. However, the most outstanding feature was how nice and helpful ALL the staff were. It was definitely one of the best run hotels we have stayed at.
My point is that not only have they secured all of our families’ loyalty, but we’ll tell everyone. So they invested a little time, gave us a small discount and, IMHO, received a great ROI in return. One of my (grown) children even commented that they wouldn’t mind owning and/or running a hotel like this.
So next time you experience a company giving you extraordinary service and you have your children with you, point out to them how that makes you feel. Then ask them how that kind of service might affect a business. One of the best ways to teach the ‘Entrepreneurial Mindset’ is to make it a habit to notice how different businesses are run, and how it might be improved, and why. Sometimes exceptional experiences in certain establishments have even inspired young (and old!) people to go into that particular business.
By the way. . . that Holiday Inn is in Dayton, TN. Tell them the Maubach’s sent you. (They might even leave the light on for you…)
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